With currently available assembly lines, transportation of the components used to manufacture structures, such as an aircraft, may be more difficult than desired. For example, a wing for an aircraft may have a wedge shape. In other words, the wing may be wide at an inboard end of the wing and narrow at an outboard end of the wing. This type of shape may make manufacturing the wing more difficult and time-consuming than desired.
Some currently available methods for manufacturing a wing, as well as other types of structures, may use a fixed assembly system or jig. A fixed assembly system may use a number of stationary support fixtures to support a wing box and/or other parts for the wing at different positions or stations along an assembly line and may use a separate transportation system to transport the wing box and/or other parts for the wing to the different stations along the assembly line.
Additionally, the performance of a wing may be reduced if the location and/or orientation of the wing during manufacturing moves beyond selected tolerances at and/or between any stations along an assembly line. In some cases, the interchangeability of parts on a wing may be reduced when the wing is not supported in a desired orientation within selected tolerances while being transported and/or during manufacturing.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art continue with research and development efforts directed to moving structures, such as an aircraft wing, in a manufacturing environment.